5 Senses Coffee

Since it was first established in 2000, Five Senses Coffee has redefined what it means to be a wholesale roaster. They are dedicated to sourcing spectacular seasonal coffee from all around the world, roasting it with skill and passion and delivering it with all the support, equipment and expertise to give an unparalleled experience in a cup.

“After 8 years of rapid and consistent growth we weren’t too sure whether we were running the business or the business was running us! We were still kicking goals in our core business (in our case, the wholesale coffee market) but the broader demands of running what was now a medium sized business was starting to become very challenging.

...Acuity was one of the smartest business decisions we’ve made in our 12 year history!

We were referred to Acuity by an industry contact and Rob Bentley immediately put us at ease by showing an insightful understanding of our situation. So began a significant restructuring and education process that some two years later sees us a more focussed, efficient, profitable and sustainable business.

We now feel well placed and confident to continue our trajectory of growth and success without feeling like one of the wheels could fall off at any time. It’s fair to say engaging Acuity was one of the smartest business decisions we’ve made in our 12 year history!”

Shaughan Dunne, Managing Director

The Issue

5 Senses had a very charismatic leader, the success of the company was testament to that. However, whilst big picture thinking was effective in delivering initial success, the company lacked a focus on finer operational detail which was causing issues of accountability and effective decision making. Additionally whilst staff understood the business had a great culture, it wasn't clear as to why and without this clarity new staff were finding it difficult to buy into the companies values.

The Solution

By discussing these issues at length with key members of the business we were able to suggest a new company structure that allowed clear communication of internal accountability. We also positioned the founder into more a stewardship role to allow him to focus on what he does best, big picture thinking.

Acuity coach Rob Bentley is acknowledged for his role in the sustainable growth and development of this coffee empire.